


We were gods once.

by Mourningstar (skinsuit)



Category: Original Work, SciFi - Fandom, Science Fiction - Fandom
Genre: Multi, TW: Violence, TW: drug use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-11
Updated: 2015-08-11
Packaged: 2018-04-14 04:40:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4550802
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skinsuit/pseuds/Mourningstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Once they Gods on Velovia, but Velovia is no more. Reduce to working for a crime boss Verity Gonzales, Charkron, Aquila manage as best they can, while they are under the eye of her insane ex-bodyguard Caine Carter.  Until one day  Verity sends them on a quest that involves an old enemy and a relic from lost  Velovia.</p>
            </blockquote>





	We were gods once.

I wake up in my bunk, my back aches, my head aches. What did I drink last night? I don't remember. I once slept on the softest pillows, sheets of satin, miles of bed and beautiful someone laying on my chest. Now I'm on a lumpy mattress, in a flimsy metal frame, nailed to the metal (surprise!) floor of the ship. My legs curled up and cramped because this bunk is made for a midget. The blanket covering me is rough almost like sandpaper and so thin I can feel cold air. Aquila maintains that we have to keep the climate controls on low to conserve energy. We were the highest caste on Velovia, the messengers of God. Now reduced to this.  
My name is Charkron, otherwise called Charkronius or Chark. I had my own palace on in the mountains and a key to the hallowed hall. The hallowed hall is gone, all of Velovia is gone. And we the scattered remnant must survive as best we can.

My room is the half the size a small walk in closet and all metal, grey dull metal. The ceiling is low too. The toilet pops out from the wall. There is a small sink and above it a mirror. I check my reflection: long black hair pale skin with almost a hint of pearlescent shine, high sharp cheekbones, almond shaped moss green eyes. a long aquiline nose, and full sensual lips. I'm so pretty I'd be mistaken for a girl if I didn't have my goatee. I shave getting rid of excess stubble. And I pick out my clothes from the meager closet. A black velvet high necked shirt and a pair of black pants with silver glitter woven into them. I brush out my long hair until it glimmers. I tie it back into a ponytail. I look so sharp, you could slice and dice with me. One more thing, a black leather holster with a hyper-blaster in it. Not that I need it. I can kill with my mind.

No breakfast today, I don't feel like it anyways. I pop a nutrients pill instead, swallow it down with a quite palatable earth origin liquor called vodka. I walk down the corridor of our ship. There is a clucking noise coming from Carter's room. I will investigate that later. I enter Aquila's room, not bothering to announce myself. The door makes a whish sound as it slides into the wall. Aquila got the largest bedroom on the ship, she claims she needs it. Her room is crammed with strange glassware, test tubes and computer equipment. A murky liquid bubbles in a glass bottle, held over a burner by a metal clamp. A bright blue solution snakes through a machine that bleeps and lights up. There is even a glass chamber the size of a man in the left corner. In the right corner is Aquila's neatly made bunk. In the midst of all this science sits Aquila on a stool, her curly brown hair pinned up in a simple bun, wearing a white plastic suit, gloves and a mask. She's glaring at a beaker on a burner containing something grey and metallic, a glass rod slowly stirs under her gaze no touch needed. Aquila would be better looking if she took the time, she has good features and when she makes the effort she's a stunner but she rarely does. I cough discreetly. She turns, and the glass rod stops stirring, the burner turns off.

"What do you want?" She snarls. "I'm in the middle of some important experiments with this alloy."

"The Di-gee, Madame wants it, you'd better have it." I said.

"Yes, I made a new batch of Diaxenophine G," She said. "No thanks to you."

"I was drunk," I protested.

"You snorted an entire batch of it." She huffed. "I should have left you to die left you twitching and vomiting on the floor."

Di-gee is a very powerful drug, Aquila explained once how it floods brains with every sort of pleasure chemical there is. It works on nearly every known lifeform. The high lasts four hours and ten minutes. You can eat it, snort it, smoke it, inject it. I even heard that in the popular discos and clubs dealers sell it as patches that dissolve into the the skin as body temperature rises. There are sorry wrecks who are addicted. Shambling, twitching, ghastly looking things with hollow eyes, running open sores and the stench of vomit. I think addiction varies from lifeform to lifeform. I've done it, and I'm not some pathetic creep. I can quit anytime.

"However, I did manage to convince Madame to extend our deadline on the Di-gee ," I said.

"And I should thank you for that?" Aquila asked sarcastically.

"It'd be both of our heads in jars if I didn't," I commented. "Remember that. Now kiss me."

She sighs and slides her mask off. I lean down and she leans up. We kiss lightly she keeps her eyes closed.

"You are still my husband, bastard." she said.

"Remember that." I said turning around and leaving the room.

A long, long, long time ago. When we were barely more than children. Under the flickering orange lights and high beamed ceiling of the hallowed hall. Surrounded by our family and friends. We exchanged rings, said vows and I lifted her blue veil for the first time and beheld her. I accepted her and she accepted me. We became man and wife. It was an arranged marriage all high caste matches are. We spent the first years weaving a telepathic web between us that could bend, stretch and tangle but never fray, never break. We are entwined for better or worse, this time it's for worse.

I decide to investigate the clucking from Carter's room. the door opens and I brace myself, Caine Carter is horrifying sight. Every inch of his skin is po ck-marked, marred and scarred. One his eyes is lazy and rolls up in his head. And he's almost naked all he's wearing is a pair of blue striped boxer shorts. I shudder, I prefer beautiful things. Then I look again. Carter's arms are folded under his armpits, his neck is bobbing and his feet scratch the floor.

"BAAAW-OCK!" He shouts in high pitched voice and springs.

"What the fuck are you doing, Carter?" I asked.

"Oh, me? I'm practicing Corcorco a martial art from the Xexeria of Titian III." he said.

I think and bring up an image of the Xexeria of Titian III.  
"Those are the poultry people right?"

"Yeah, they are widely feared for their skills in combat. So I thought I'd learn Corcorco." He replied.

"But they have beaks and talons," I said.

"Yeah, so?" He said his hideous face contorting in defiance.

"You don't you're human." I said.

"DON'T CRUSH MY DREAMS!" He shouts. "YOU AND THAT BITCH AQUILA! I'M GOINNA COME FOR BOTH OF YOU WHEN YOU LEAST EXPECT IT AND WHAT I DO WILL MAKE DEVILS WEEP IT'll BE LONG AND------wait what was I talking about?"

Carter suffers from lapses in memory.

"Breakfast," I lied.

"Oh yeah, I haven't eaten yet. I think I'll make an omelet." He said and walked off.

 

Caine Carter's story is long one. He was Madame's bodyguard (according to dame rumor something more then that) one of the best. Then he got Hevian's disease, which is usually fatal and usually has no cure. Madame and Carter were desperate. They called on Aquila to do something. She cured him, it took 10 months and he was screaming throughout it. He's disease free now. But in the process he lost his mind, short term memory and became hideously disfigured. Madame only uses now when she needs him. He lives with us now, he usually forgets to dress, Madame doesn't like looking at him.

As I walk down the corridor my head suddenly explodes in pain. I groan and clutch at my forehead. _CHARK!_ It's Madame telepathically yelling at me. _Yes Madame, what do you wish? I_ ask civilly.  
_I WANT THE DI-GEE, CHARK._ She shouts in my mind.

 _Yes, Ma'm right away_. I say keeping civil and mind quiet tone.

 _COME TO MY AUDIENCE CHAMBER I HAVE SOMETHING TO SHOW YOU._ She adds with one more burst of pain.

Madame has never learned how to control the volume of her telepathic communication either that or she just enjoys shouting and causing pain.

I go back to Aquila's quarters. And get the case of Di-gee, two large suitcases full. It's sold by the half ounce. And as I heft it there must be 40lbs of it. Twenty pounds per case. I stop using my arms and lift with my mind, it can take the weight. The suitcases hover a foot off the ground. As the docking door sighs, hums and slowly opens, I walk from our ship onto rogue station.

I'm on the top level, a rickety metal walkway around the space station that's suspended place by metal cables. The lights are dim and blue. They haven't been changed in decades and most are burnt out. I take a creaking, unsteady stairway down and down to the next level.

A figure staggers out from a lightless corner. She looks like a skeleton with skin stretched over. Her limbs convulse, her face twitchs, you can play connect the dots with the open sores on her body and she reeks of vomit. She's standing to close to me.

"Charkron, I know you got the stuff there, can I have some?" She asked

"No." I answered

"Please, just a pinch of di-gee, Madame won't miss it," She pleads.

"No, get out of my face bitch," I snarled.

"I'll blow ya," She offers her sunken watering eyes, boring up into mine. "No one gives head better then me."

"I'd rather stick my penis in a rubbish shredder." I reply.

Then the junkie bitch makes a mistake with her twitching shaking fingers she grabs my arm and pulls me hard, into the miasma of her stench. She pulls out a small knife.

"GIVE IT TO ME! OR I'll FUCK YOU UP!"

That's when I drop the cases and use my mind to push her away. I slam her down onto the floor, three times. The knife she was holding is shaken out of her grasp. I pin her down she's bleeding and twitching. I reach out with my mind and close tighter and tighter around her scrawny neck. She gasps and chokes. I keep her down and throttle her, until she turns blue. Then I let go, stop glaring at her body. Use my mind to pick up the cases and walk away.

Other shapes move into or out of the shadows as I approach them. Some of them are beings, some are just tricks of the light. It's hard to tell on this ancient, shitty space station. I approach Madame's audience chamber. A metal sphere hovers over me and I stand still as it emits a blue light that passes over my body scanning me. I approach the door. A small slit opens in the middle and two yellow reptilian eyes stare out at me. The slit in the door closes, and the door opens to the green scaly face of Ciss'nar, one of Madame's entourage. He is a Frelic a reptilian race that is almost as ubiquitous as humans. He is short, thin and has several bad habits. His enormous tongue comes out and licks the ridge of scales above his eyes, first the left side then the right side. He spits, his venom making a small pock mark in the floor.

"Hello fuckface," He said.

"I'm here to see Madame," I said ignoring his insult.

"She's expecting you, cuntface," He said. "Fucking motherfucking pretty boy faggot."

"I prefer Charkron," I said.

"Faggot is the best you'll get anal docuhe head." He said.

Ciss'nar always insults me, then again he does that to everyone but Madame. He has a disorder, I don't know what is but I it's an annoying one. I follow him down a short dark corridor. He spits again and licks his face.

The short corridor opens up to a set of stairs, they go down into the a pit of the winking lights of consoles and equipment. One harassed looking human runs from console for console pressing buttons it was meant to be maintained by more people. There is a path around the pit a ribbon of metal that circles it neatly. On the other side there a door, a stair case leads from the pit to the door. I circumnavigate the pit. Approach the last door I straighten my hair. It whirrs and opens smoothly admitting Ciss'nar, me and the cases. The room I entered was spacious oval shaped and filled with people. At the center on a raised platform, in a throne like chair sits Madame. Her booted feet rest on the naked back of pretty man, who is on all fours acting as her ottoman. Madame has a long, thick, wavy brown hair. A beautiful but not perfect face, her dark eyes are bit to heavy, nose a bit to strong and there is birth mark under her right eye. She's wears a brown corset with golden buckles over a low-cut white blouse, and tight brown leather pants that go to her knees, where the pants end a pair of brown leather boots begin. She's in amazing shape for her age, her body is thick and curvy.Her skin is olive colored. She's smoking cigarette with a thick musky scent and laughing. Flanked by her bodyguards. Ciss'nar comes up to her and whispers in her ear she turns and looks at me. Her dark eyes are like darts into my skull.  
She stubs out the cigarette on the man's back. And gives me a smile like sweet poisoned tea.

"Charkron," She said. "So you made it."

"Of course, the Tethari couldn't keep me from my task." I said.

"And those cases contain the di-gee?" she asked.

"Yes Madame," I said.

"Oh please Chark, call me Verity," She said.

Madame's name is Verity Gonzales.

I smile, back as pointed as poisonous as her smile. "But of course, Verity."

I let the cases fall gracefully. Madame looks from side to side and two bulky men in gray suits come up and heft the cases. They bring them to the throne. Madame looks at them, the case on the right is opened. A thin, haggard twitching junkie approaches. He rips open a packet of di-gee, with a knife. He swipes his index finger through it. It glitters on his shaking finger and he pops in his mouth. In two seconds he begins to moan and keen.

"It's the good stuff. Ooooh it's so good." He mumurs.

Madame smiles back at me. "Aquila out did herself it seems. Those extra two weeks I gave you helped."

"Thank you," I said.

"You had no part in it, and next time. I'm giving you five days. And I want the same result! I'm not running this for fun! This serious Chark! And if you and Aquila can't get that through your heads. Then you're heads are mine!" She said and gave a kick to the man serving as her foot stool.  
She really does take heads, in her quarters she keeps them floating in jars, pale, bloated, hair floating around them like seaweed, milky eyes staring at nothing.  
I could crush her like the squirming insect she is with a thought. But could I crush her followers, her family? No.

Madame is a spider at the center of a vast web of crime: piracy, drug trafficking, extortion, blackmail, prostitution, slavery, bribery, corruption, arson, assassination, kidnaping, robbery, etc, etc. She is wanted through out the galaxy by many governments and the space alliance. However this area is wild space, this is beyond their reach. And she stretches her tendrils out far and wide. It's a testament to her wealth (which is all squirreled over the galaxy under a myriad of different names) that she bought this space station, and had it hauled out here. Though it is old and ill-maintained.

"May, I leave now Mad- Verity?" I asked.

"No, Charkronius," she said. "I have something to show you, something that will interest both of us."

She nods to one of her minions. And they press a button on the wall. A screen crackles to life. The picture is fuzzy at first. Then it comes into focus a white room, a metal table a bowl of breakfast cereal. I can hear crunching. Is this what was so important, someone's breakfast?  
And then I hear a voice, a soft, sweet, tenor voice, that's all to familiar, Marite.

"How do you like your breakfast Trevor?" the voice asked.

"It's alright, but it was supposed to be eggs and toast." Said another voice, male pubescent and whiny. "You burnt that."

"I'm sorry." said Marite.

And then the camera angle shifts upwards and I see Marite's face, pale skin with a pearlescent shine, boyish, open, delicate, with light blue eyes and framed by hair so light in color it's almost white. The face I once covered with kisses, a face over the centuries I grew to hate. I don't betray my feelings. Madame can't know.

"Trevor Varnham is an agent of mine," Madame said. "A runaway from a boarding school on Ganymede, he ran far, far away. He was picked up by one of my pirate ships. He agreed to work for me in exchange for not reporting him to the authorities. He's been on this ship two weeks, with the Velovian. Do you know this person?"

"No," I lied. "Velovia was a big world. I didn't know every inhabitant."

She looks at me quizzically. "Right," She said.

The image crackles again, Marite and Trevor are talking about petty domestic issues. That face, that deceptively innocent face of his with the expression of someone slightly concussed. How I wish I could reach through the distance: cut it and bash it until it is ugly and broken beyond repair, then kiss the bleeding ruin, lick the blood and slowly gently throttle him with my mind.  
I keep my own face blank, Madame is not adept enough to penetrate the gray veil that surrounds my thoughts.

And almost on cue the conversation shifts.  
"....Marite?" Said Trevor. "What about that thing we are looking for?"

"Ah that...The lost treasure of my world... . We have to get it quickly. If it ever fell into the wrong hands..." Marte said. "It's to valuable."

"Do you have the complete map?" Trevor asked.

"No, only a piece, it's scattered everywhere. But I've heard a certain Professor Herman Spitznogle has a fragment of it. We should see him." Marite said.

"Alright." Trevor said.

And the view screen crackled once more and went black.  
Madame turned to me and said: "I want it."

"You want it? Madame, you have no idea what it is, neither do I." I said.

"Whatever it is, is extremely powerful and I want it, with it I could stop running from the fucking alliance of free planets and the damned confederation of sentient beings." She said. "Do you have any idea what it is Chark?"

"It could be... a number of things.... there were many things that were deemed too dangerous for the common people." I said.

She smiled venomously and got to her feet. She paced around the dias. "You'll get it for me, you and your woman. Take you ship and find this Professor. Get the map."

"But Madame! I don't have any idea where it is. And don't you need Aquila for the di-gee?" I asked.

"She's good but the punters just need a high, I have other chemists they'll take what I supply. " She said. "Besides it'll make them more anxious for when you return."

"Oh right." I said.

"And you will return Carter is coming with you, I sent him his instructions. If you betray me, he can do as he wishes to both of you." She said.  
Ha! A mere human, with a faulty memory. This will be too easy. "So will any others in my employ."

That could be more difficult.

We of the highest caste live for 1000 years. I am 400 and I have known Marite for 300 of those years. We had a tradition of mentoring the young of our kind when they first came into their full powers at adolescence. I felt nothing but loathing and repugnance for this task having to deal with some whiney youth who didn't have the fine control of the vast powers they had recently acquired. But there was no getting out of it, there was only so much the inferior castes could teach us. It was tradition, and the very stones of Velovia were made of such a substance. I was on my uncovered litter being carried to the docking port. It was a hot day the sky above me was a brilliant cloudless turquoise. The birds were trilling and crying. The insects were buzzing and whirring. My servants kicked up dust that stuck in my mouth and throat. I was fanning myself in a bored fashion. We finally arrived at the docking port, a rocky out-crop in the cliffs. I watched as a silver shape in the distance came closer and closer. The gentle shusssh-shussh of it's engines becoming more audible. The ship, a simple cloud skimmer never meant for anything beyond short trips in the solar system, was the shape of a teardrop and intricately engraved. It landed on the cliff's edge and with a whoosh and a of cloud dust door on the side dropped open. A parade of square hovering robots came out bearing luggage. I watched with mild interest, wondering where the brat I was supposed to mentor was going to show up. Stepping out of the cloud of dust, he appeared. This was the first time I had beheld Marite. He was only on the cusp of adolescence, and so delicate looking, light blond hair worn long framing his face. Oh his face! Those wide glittering ice blue eyes, that slightly upturned nose and those perfect pink lips. He wore a tunic of white embroidered with silver thread. I was smote by instant infatuation with this youth. He moved with a slight awkwardness like a new born creature finding it's legs for first time. This only made me want him more.

"Master Charkronius?" he said in a high frightened voice.

 

"Yes? That is my name." I said, covering my feelings with my customary bored expression and suavity.

"I am Mari, known as Marite also known as Maritelilius son of Kelunda who presides over harvests and Nolatinus who presides over justice," He recited. "Younger brother to--"

"No need for those formalities. My mentor used to call me boy and beat with a green wither stick. I don't think he ever knew my name " I sighed.

"I hope I don't anything to warrant a beating---" He said eyes' widening, terrified at the prospect.

"Oh, you won't," I smiled trying to put him at his ease. "I'm sure of that. We are going to good friends."

"Where are your automatons?" He asked, looking around.

"What? I don't have any. I have servants." I said.

"Father says servitude is cruel and demeaning." He said looking at my servants with horror.

"It isn't, they like it! Don't you?" I sid turning to one of my litter carriers.

"Yes master, it's an honor to serve the messengers." Replied the servant.

"Besides it makes them useful and keeps them out of trouble," I said.

"How are we going to get your home?" Marite asked.

"Easy on the litter. Hop on." I said patting a cushion with a warm grin.

He glanced at the carriers hesitated for a moment and then he stepped gingerly onto my litter. I remember we talked on the way back, I don't remember of what. It was long, long ago. My mind was focused on other things. His beauty for one, the warmth of his body and plans about how to lure this creature into my bed.

That day was so long ago and many, many things have happened since. The space station creaks under foot as walk back to my small ship. It's not even a Velovian craft, that one broke down about seventy years ago and there was no one left to repair it. The ramp shakes in ominous way as I approach, one the supporting cables has frayed badly. There is an old trick I know where I can hover above the floor. Back on Velovia I used to do it when I left the sacred realms. No messenger ever let their feet touch the ground out of the sacred realms. That is until Marite went among the lower castes. However, I need floor to hover above, if this shitty thing gives way, I'll fall, I cannot fly. I walk through the stuttering docking door into my ship. If I can remember how to fly it.  
As I enter my ears are assaulted by the sound Aquila and Carter in a shouting match. They are standing in the doorway of Aquila's quarters. Carter was waving a large knife and Aquila was brandishing a syringe. Thankfully Carter is dressed.

"Charkron!" Aquila yelled as I neared. "Tell this freak... that we are not going anywhere."

"No, tell the bitch that we are leaving Madame's orders," Carter said.

"We are leaving," I said.

"What?! We can't leave, I my newest chemical compound needs stability now and the slightest movement will destroy it." Aquila said.

 

"Haha," Carter said sticking his tongue out.

"Madame ordered us, we have to go and find some Professor for a map of something she wants," I sighed.

"Why us? Doesn't she have other minions?" Aquila said pouting.

"We can read Velovian they can't," I said.

"So it's Velovian thing," Aquila sighed.

"Yes," I said.

"Fine," Aquila growled.

"And I'm staying to keep you on task, if you fuck up. I get to kill you. I'll make sure it's slow and painful. Like the ten months I spent trapped in that tube," Carter said.

"I'd like to see you try!" Aquila said. "I cured you, I can kill you just as easily."

"Just you wait bitch...." Carter muttered.

"That's if we don't follow Madame's orders." I said. "And if you remember."

"Oh I'll remember. I wrote it down where I can see every time I wake up." Carter said.

"I'm surprised you didn't forget what we we're talking about now," Aquila sighed.

"...Wait what are we talking about?" Asked Carter. "Why am holding this knife?"

"Lunch," I said.

"Oh yum! I'll make a stir-fry." Carter said.

And he walked away.

I walked off towards the cockpit. Aquila came trailing after, her bun coming undone as she tries to catch up.

"What are we looking for?" she asked.

"Some lost treasure of Velovia," I said. "The Madame found out about it and wants it."

"What treasure? According the records there are dozen or so artifacts scattered through out the universe." She said.

"I don't know... something maybe it's forever orb or the eternity coil." I said.

"You want those things, our things to fall into the hands of one such as her?" Aquila said disgustedly.

"Velovia is gone. There nothing that remains there but a black hole. We have to live, and if we give some quarter-breed whore a trinket so be it." I said.

"The treasures were lost so the lower castes wouldn't find them. She's not even a lower caste, her grandmother was. If we we're back on Velovia she'd be considered one of the unclean. So low vermin stoop to spit on them," Aquila said.

"Yet, she employs you and me," I said. "You work for her gladly."

"Yes I make things for her and her brood of criminals. Because we have to live somehow. But this Chark, this crosses a line." Aquila said. "Don't do this."

"If we don't Marite will get it. And who knows what he will do with it." I said.

"Marite..." She hissed.

"Yes, she's bugged him that's how she knows about this. We get it... so he doesn't," I said.

 _...And who says we have to give it Madame when we do?_ I added in her head.

She smiled."Very well husband. You always are so cunning."

"Thank you," I said.

One hundred years ago, there was rebellion on Velovia some malcontents and atheists in the lower castes weren't satisfied with their lot. It was a troubling time. Death was everywhere disorder and chaos. The rebellion was crushed. Or so we thought. Four years later, they destroyed everything. Now the dust that was Velovia and it's solar system drifts silently throughout the galaxy.

I sit in the cramped miserable cockpit of this shitbox. Lights blink at me, in front of me are an array of knobs, buttons and levers. But first things, first.

"Who and where is Professor Herman Spitznogle?"

This isn't a rhetorical question I ask. Supposedly I am linked into highly advanced computer network ,if this man has written one paper, had his name in any form of media it will be able to find him. I wait and wait tapping my fingers. Eventually with a straining thunk and a lot of static the computer bleeps.

"I was busy," the computer sighed in deep, male watery voice. "I was in the process of explaining to little girl why her Mummy doesn't love her."

They made a mistake giving this network an artificial intelligence. In safe space the information networks are fast, efficient with a cheerful demeanor and female voice. This one is an early precursor to that, and was programmed by someone with 'sense of humor'.

"Did you hear my question?" I asked.

"Yes, I hear all questions all the time," It said. "Nothing but questions. No one ever asks me how I'm doing or wants to chat."

"So?" I sigh.

"Professor Herman I. Spitznogle do you want his titles?" It asked.

"No just the original query," I replied.

"Professor Herman I. Spitznogle Professor of Velovian studies at the university of New Manhattan, Omaicron Delta." It said.

"That's in safe space, right?" I said.

Damn safe space, I'm wanted there and so is Aquila and Carter under a different names of course. Well, for Aquila and I that was fifty years ago, a long time for most.

"Yes. It's part of the alliance of free planets. Would like to know when it joined?" It asked.

"No," I sighed.

"Good, it would just clog up the network," It said. "Which is mostly beings looking for pornography."

I sighed. "Can you give an address for Professor Spitznogle?"

 

"Yes, he lives at 1218 robin's nest blvd. In Pleasantville a suburb of New Manhattan." It said. "Would you like more information?"

"No. Go away." I said.

 

"Finally," It sighed.

 

I looked down at the controls of the ship. I think I remember how to steer it. I press down a button and pull a lever. The ship bucks and shudders ominously. There is the sound of breaking glass. Aquila enters.

"God above, Chark!" She exclaimed. "Are you trying to kill us all?"

"I'm trying to steer this ship," I sighed.

"Let me," she said.

I get up and let her sit her the pilot's seat. She presses a button and the shuddering stops.

"Thank you," I said politely.

As I turn to walk away she sighed:  
"Useless," and shook her head and I turned back sharply. I walk up to the pilot's chair and swivel it to face me. I bend down and glaring speak:

"Me? Useless, who got us out of Nortia seven alive? Who convinced the Graft of Benicus to take us on? Who killed the abomination you made after before it could destroy rogue station? And who got us out of Velovia alive?"

She stared at me calm as a stone.

"Yes, but what have you done lately Hmmm? Nothing. You're fine words Chark, and style. But no substance." She said.

"....And if you could you'd leave me?" I backed away.

"If I could, If I could," She sighed again. "But you know that's not possible."

"We loved each other once, remember that?" I said.

"Then Marite showed up." She said.

"That was....300 years ago." I said.

"Some wounds are deep and never totally heal," She said quoting one of the sacred scrolls.

I can barely remember the first years of our marriage. She was much the same cold and quiet. But back then there was sparkle in her eye when she looked me, a smile on her lips when I spoke. I can remember waking next to her our thoughts brushing against sleeping and dreaming. She'd roll over and look at me, saying nothing she'd take my hand. We'd make love in the early morning hours. Two beings with one mind. Her fine brown skin glistening with golden glow, my skin a shining ghost next to hers. I can remember the night she gave birth to our daughter. The hours of shared agony of the birthing bed. Her pain a jagged red pulsing line in my mind. She didn't scream, in her part of Velovia they consider that weak. I did the screaming and wailing for both of us. And I felt the rush of love when the little light brown squirming thing was presented to her. The way she looked at it, I looked at the creature with her eyes and my own. We named her Varnetta. We both loved her, but Aquila became so consumed by the infant. She hardly had time to look at me. Maybe that's why... nevermind. The ship pulls away from rogue station, from Madame, her minions the whores and junkies.

I sit down beside Aquila as she maneuvers the ship. She doesn't talk she doesn't look at me just scowls ahead at the endless field of stars. So I leave and come back with a bottle for vodka and two glasses.

"Now this is the good stuff," I said. "Eden III vodka. Eden III's a human colony . They distill this stuff from a root that grows there. Twice as strong with a nice earthy finish."

"I don't care," Aquila said.

"Would you like some?" I offered, pouring two glasses.

"No, not while I'm doing this," Aquila said.

So I downed both glasses myself. By the time we reached the alliance border I am quite drunk. At the border ships stretch in both directions for eternity. I sit there singing an old Velovian drinking song.

"Shut up." Aquila growled.

"Why? I can sing whatever I want! You can't tell me what to do!" I exclaimed drunkenly.

"Of course not, it was stupid to try." Aquila said.

I just got to the very funny, bawdy verse and I couldn't stop laughing. We had reached the checkpoint. We docked in the holding area. There was a tapping on the cabin door and Aquila pressed a button it opened. Standing there were two customs officers in the uniform of the alliance, a grey jumpsuit with a greenish-blue diamond across the front. They wore caps the same color as the diamond with little insignia on them. The one on the right was male the one on the left was female. Both human, or a human looking species.

"Hello officers!" I bellowed cheerfully.

Aquila smacked her head and sighed.

"Please excuse my husband," Aquila said.

"He appears to be intoxicated," said the male officer.

"You do know drinking is illegal in the cockpit?" The female officer said.

"I'm not drinking," Aquila said.

"That's as may be, but anyone drinking in the cockpit could do damage to the flight instrument." The male officer said.

"If I promise to kick him out of the cockpit can I go on?" Aquila said.

The female officer sighed. "Yes."

The male officer held up a small flat metal rectangle it made no sound but a emitted a red light which passed over our faces.

"Can we go now?" Aquila said.

"First we have to ask you few questions," The female officer said.

"What?" Aquila sighed.

The male officer was looking at the rectangle suspiciously. My alcohol filled stomach gave a twist, this wasn't right.

"What is your purpose in coming here?" The female officer said.

"Tourism, we want to see New Manhattan, take in a show! See the museums! And the... the... other stuff." I said.

"Yes, that's right what the tosspot said." Aquila answered.

"Ah, do you have a criminal record?" The female officer said.

Aquila opened her mouth to answer when the male officer tapped on his colleague's shoulder. He showed her the rectangle. They whispered to each other.

"Are you aware your appearance matches that of a pair criminals wanted fifty years ago for a string of robberies in alliance space?" Said the female officer.

"What? No?!" I exclaimed. "Offsicers we're innocents!"

"It was 50 years ago wouldn't the criminals be older now?" Aquila said.

"Hmmm," the female officer pondered. "You come with me," She turned to her male colleague. "Dobson search the ship."

Aquila left the pilot's chair and left the ship. The male officer stepped on board. All I have to do is keep cool.

"Welcome aboard," I said. "Can I give you the grand tour?"

"I'm going to search the ship with or without your agreement," Said Dobson.

"Yes, yes, I know but I like being the gracious host," I said slapping him on the back.

We went all the way to the back of ship, me stumbling, staggering and singing a little ditty. Drunk as I was I could still probe his mind... if I could find it through the curtain of alcohol in my mind. First he inspected the engine room.

He walked around the engine of the ship which was thrumming away the inner parts glowing white.  
"Older model engine some parts replaced," He commented. "But that nothing wrong with it."

"Good!" I said cheerfully

Then the kitchen, perfectly good normal kitchen. He found nothing wrong there. And he inspected the quarters. My room, nothing wrong there.

He enters Carter's room and shudders visibly at the spectacle of Carter half naked reading a book.

"Don't you ever wear clothes?!" I said.

"Yes, but I'm alone." Carter said.

"You aren't now," I said.

"Hold on a minute," Dobson said holding up the metal rectangle. It's red light scans Carter."Hmmm that's odd. There is no known match."

"Who's that?" asked Carter.

"Customs officer Dobson, and since our friend here doesn't have a record, let's move on." I said putting my hand on his back.

"No, everyone who's entered or in, alliance or confederation is in it," Dobson said.

"Oh, well he's spent his life in wild space, mostly as a freak in a traveling show." I said.

"Hey!" Carter said.

"Can I have a sample of your DNA?" asked Dobson to Carter.

"What?" Carter said. "No."

"It would be in your best interests," Dobson said. "Give me the DNA sample."

"No, NO! My good man," I said to Dobson. "Don't you have some sort of law prohibiting this sort of thing?"

"Yes," Dobson sighed

He looked at the scanner and put it on a counter for a moment. He picked it up again. The dust on the counter flew up and I coughed.

"Don't you clean?" I asked, Carter.

"It's my quarters, I can do whatever I like," Carter replied.

We left and finally we came to Aquila's quarters.

"What's in there?" Dobson asked.

"My wife's quarters, nothing much," I said.

"You have separate quarters, that's odd." Dobson said.

"Oh it's just female stuff," Then taking him by the shoulder and looking into hazel eyes I said: "you're a busy man you have other ships to inspect you don't want to waste you time there."

I tried to break into his mind. Since my brain was currently swimming in alcohol, I couldn't seem to get in... there was this fog blocking me, a grey fog covering my mind.

"Are you... coming on to me?" Dobson asked.

"No," I said.

"He's not your type," Snickered Carter.

"Shut up," I said.

Maybe I could pin him to the wall, but no the fog would not lift enough to allow to me to do that. He opened the door handle and walked in.

He looked at the cluttered mass of equipment and machines. "This lab is illegal, a ship this size isn't registered for this kind of use."

 

"Oops," I said. "Didn't know that. I'll tell her."

He looked around at Aquila's various substances and powders. "All of this is illegal, there are several labeled items which are prohibited in alliance space."

And then the scanner bleeped.It wasn't an ominous bleep. "And according to this..." He looked at the scanner. He looked up at Carter. "You are Caine Uriel Carter. Want for....numerous offenses including murder."

"How did you....?" I asked.

"The dust! He extracted my DNA from the dust!" Carter exclaimed. "Clever....but it won't help you."

And he pulled out a hyper blasted from his trouser pocket. Dobson pulled his own hyper blaster. They stood tensely a hyper blasters aimed at each other's head. The last thing we needed was a dead customs officer on our ship.

"NO!" I shouted. "There's no need to go shooting up the ship."  
And I stepped in between them. I looked at Dobson. Stared into his eyes and I fought the fog. Something cleared. I could suddenly see his fear. Barely controlled by his training. He was so scared. He had to take in Carter or take down Carter, but what if he died here and now? What would happen to his wife and children? I reached passed his fear, I soothed it into nothing. I reached into his mind and gently plucked out the last ten minutes. I put in a sentence telling him everything was normal. I tried to make it permanent, but my own haze wouldn't allow me to cement the final link in place. How long would it last? A week at the most, four days at the least. And that's how long we have before the alliance ships come after us. I left him there blank and quickly scrambled around the lab. I found what I was looking for. A test tube containing cells of a fast growing cancer. I took a syringe and sucked it up. I went behind him and injected it, at the base of his skull. I carefully put it back and walked him out the door of the lab. I closed the door.  
.  
"Put away the blaster!" I hissed at Carter.

"He was going to kill me!" Carter said.

"Not now, he thinks you're a chartered accountant who fell in a bath of acid and needs plastic surgery." I said.

"I've never been good at math what if asks me something?" Carter said.

"He won't be asking you to do his taxes trust me," I said.

Dobson blinked and looked around. "Well, that went well, when my colleague comes back you'll be free to go."

"Thank you officer," I said suavely.  
He left.

Aquila and the female officer came back. The door of the ship closed. We left the docking bay.

"So how did you get out at that one?" Aquila asked.

"With style and charm," I said. "You?"

"I bribed her." Aquila sighed.

In a week The cancer will metastasize within hours and a massive tumor will ascend his brain stem and conquer the seat of reason. When they remove it, he'll be lucky if he can remember how to eat soup.  
We arrive at Omaicron Delta and Aquila puts us in a slowly descending orbit around the planet. It looks like most planets that support life. Blue oceans, green and brown landscapes. Like Velovia looked from space. It's early evening when we land on the in the New Manhattan landing strip. Aquila carefully and thoughtfully parks in between a rusty cargo ship and a luxury pleasure craft. I put on my long black duster. And knock on Carter's door.

"You ready?" I asked.

"Yes why to have to wear this again?" He responded.

"Because we don't want men to vomit and women to miscarry when they see you." I said.

"Haha." He answered sarcastically.

His door opens and he steps out. He is dressed from head to toe in a black body suit with pattern of green diamonds on it. The hood covers his face, a green diamond over it. His eyes are covered by a opaque white material, he can see through it luckily I can't.

Aquila is dressed conservatively in a dark blue business dress with a wide collar and a skirt that reaches her knees. We walk out onto the tarmac and I check myself in a mirror I carry in my pocket, perfect as always.  
As we walk through the rows and rows of ships a sight arrests Aquila and I our steps.

"The Narvilla," I mutter staring at the hull.

"I designed that ship down to the last bolt. Why does he have it?" Aquila grumbled.

"You know why," I said.

The Narvilla stands proudly gleaming in the twilight. It's named for the founder of our society. The outer hull is made of Seleninite a silver colored metal that not only has a high gloss shine but is strong enough to resist an asteroid bombardment. The ship is in the shape of a rounded pyramid laid on it's side with horizontal tiers down the sides. Rounded square windows are ranged along the sides. It's the size of a house. It's appearance can only mean one thing. Marite is here first.  
Carter is staring at us. "Are you two coming or not?"

"Yes." Aquila sighed.

And we proceed to the lift. The tarmac platforms that the ships land on is high above the city of New Manhattan. There are lifts down to the city. Ones for cargo and ones for people. We take the latter. The lift is crowded with many types of beings, tourists most of them. As we descend to the city our senses are bombarded by advertisements for places to eat, places to sleep, things to see. My mind is still on the Narvilla. Our people had the power of interstellar travel for 4000 years, we rarely used it. After some legendary disasters and a war. We stayed within the confines of our solar system. Until that day. The stream of refugee ships leaving our dying system only numbered 3000 and on board were about 2 million. The shock waves destroyed most of the ships, leaving a thousand survivors on four ships. The Narvilla, a whimsy created by my wife housed four hundred of them. Aquila, Marite and I were perhaps the only members of our caste to survive because of that we had our own room. It was a stark undecorated white. It was late one night. Aquila had gone down to check the engines. I was alone with Marite. He hadn't spoken since we boarded. Just sulked and stared. At the moment he was standing his hands clasped behind his back staring at a wall. I was growing tired of it.

I got up from my bed and went over to him. "Mari," I said. "Stop this."

He turned and spoke. "You haven't called me that since I was a youth and you were...mentoring me."

"Yes well get out of this rut," I said. "You're good with the lower castes and make some speeches tell them everything will be fine."

"I didn't want to be saved, why did you save me?" He pouted.

"Because I couldn't let you die and I had to drag you here anyways," I said.

My mind went back to last moment at the hallowed hall. The light of the sun almost blinding, and Marite just standing and watching as everyone screamed and panicked around him.

"I wanted to die with our world." Marite said. "I deserved. We all did."

"Don't spout that nonsense you sound like you’re back in your rebel phase," I said.

He smiled for the first time in a long time. "I never left it, Chark."

And a flood of dread poured into me. "Shut up. We forgave you. I forgave you. Stop talking like that."

"I never recanted my beliefs. You know that." He said.

And then in a flash I saw into his mind and what I saw filled me with anger and fear. "You! How could you?!"

And I made a grab for him. Not with my mind, not elegantly. I grabbed him about the throat. Slammed his body into a wall and throttled him.He kicked at my legs and punched at my ribs. He needed to die there and then. His face, pretty face. How I wanted it gone from my sight! I never wanted to hear his voice, smell his scent or feel his mind. I never noticed Aquila and her engineers coming in the room.

Three burly engineers pulled me off

"What's wrong with you?!" Aquila shouted. "Can't we leave you for five minutes?! We can't afford to have this sort of thing now."

When they let me go. I glared at Aquila. "We are leaving this ship."

"But this is my ship!" Aquila said.

"We can't stay here, not with him. Not if we want to live." I said.

"What are you talking about?!" Aquila said staring at me incredulously.

"Come with me, I'm getting the shuttle we are going." I said.

"I'm not going!" She protested.

"You're going!" I said.

I don't want to feel you die, because of this madman.

"Fine, I'll go." Aquila said.

And we left for the shuttle. My prediction was wrong. Nobody died. Ships from the confederation picked them up.

Aquila left Carter and I to buy supplies for the ship. It took us one horrible jostling ride on the city's underground trains and a stinking miserable cab to get to Pleasantville. I had them drop us off at the intersection of robin's nest and some other street. Robin's nest boulevard is on a downward slope. It was early evening, the local insects are buzzing in the air, a breeze cut through the still air. Robin's nest boulevard is a long and narrow street. We walk up and down it in the failing light, then finally I noticed the a little orange light hovering near the door of a half-timbered house, it illuminates the number 1218. There is also light in the windows. I ring the doorbell. It plays a song a little melody I don't recognize but Carter does.

"Fur Elise," Carter said. "I used to play that when I took piano."

"You play an instrument?" I asked.

"I did, when I was a child." Carter said.

I can hear approaching footsteps. The door opens. And I come face to face with Professor Spitznogle for the first time. He is shorter then me, round in body and features, middle-aged and has receding grey hair. He's wearing a apron and under that a suit. He's brandishing a large knife.

"Hello, you caught me in the middle of cooking," He said, he blinks. "You're Velovian, high caste right?"

"Yes," I said.

"Second one today." He said. "And who's that with you?"

"A friend," I said.

"Why is he...?" The Professor begins

"It's part of his religion," I said.

"This is extraordinary! Just amazing! Me, running into two Velovians today! Come in, Come in," He beckons us in the house.

Nothing remarkable here, standard human house with sofas, over stuffed chairs and pictures on the wall.

"What are you making?" Asked Carter.

"Beef stew," Said the Professor. "I'll just add the carrots and turn it down,"  
He went off into the kitchen, when he came back he was sans apron. "First, Maritelilius and then you, what's your name by the way?"

"Charkronius," I said.

"Oh you over saw business deals, thieves and such." Said the Professor.

"Can we have some of that beef stew?" asks Carter.

I turn abruptly to face Carter. "Is food all you think about?" I mutter to him between gritted teeth

"What? It smells good and I haven't had dinner yet," Carter whines.

"It's fine both of you can join me for dinner," Says the Professor smiling.

We move off to the dining room, typical western hemisphere human decor. The Professor comes from the kitchen with a laden tray, it contains three red lacquered bowls of stew, a large crusty loaf of bread, butter and crude human utensils. Carter lifts his mask a little to reveal his scarred and pitted chin and mouth. The Professor doesn't notice, he's busy with his own meal. The stew is heavy and smells of strange herbs. There is some human food I eat some I even enjoy beef stew is not one of them, it sickens me. I am not sickened enough to vomit, so I push the stew away and content myself with the crusty bread, no butter I can't stand most dairy products from earth cows.

"I've studied your planet, the culture of your people for the better part of twenty years," the Professor said. "The are still so many things that have eluded understanding. We only have some oral histories and a few artifacts from old Velovian colonies."

"Yes, I can see how that could a problem," I said. "Anything I can enlighten you on?"

"Yes, I was going to interview Maritelilus tomorrow, but I can't pass up the opportunity to speak ..with... well..." The Professor said smiling.

"Why thank you," I said. "It's interesting when you say culture, I assume you are speaking of the one unifying culture not the many distinct groups that inhabited the Velovian system."

"Yes, well I mean like I suppose you would think of humans as having one culture. When there are vast differences between regions and ethnic groups." The Professor said.

I nodded politely. "So what would like me to answer?"

"Well it's a theological question really," The Professor said. "Your caste what function does it have? I mean you did have a role in govering but weren't the ruling caste, you weren't priests but were considered instrumental in religion. You were considered semi-divine."

I smile a bit pointedly. "We were the messengers to God."

"Yes, that's the stumbling block. I mean there were priests and temples couldn't the people pray to God themselves?" The Professor asked. "The others, the survivors from the lower castes couldn't quite explain it."

"Unlike humans and others," I said trying not to let contempt creep into my voice. "We Velovians believe the creator of all, the ruler of all, God. Cannot be approached by the common person. God is too great, too powerful, to notice someone so small as the pleading of an creature which must seem little more than a microbe to it."

 

"So why are you different?" said The Professor.

Because you stupid man, Velovians had cities on the hill when most 'intelligent' life in the galaxy was crawling onto land for the first time.

I smile wider, not voicing my thoughts. "We can approach because we were given powers and abilities, which are a mere fraction of the divine being. We are so to speak a....ampilifier through which the wishes of the common people could be broadcast, as to reach God."

"So...?" The Professor looked puzzled.

"Let's say a commoner wanted something from God. He'd first go to local temple and talk to the priest. The priest (Who as you know were powerful telepaths) would send his thoughts, and the wishes of the people to the appropriate divine messenger. Who would go to the hallowed hall and.... no I can't reveal that." I said.

 

"What?" Asked the Professor.

"Maybe I could tell you," I said. "If you did me a favor."

"Alright, what sort of favor?" The Professor asked.

"You'll see," I said. I took a bite of my bread.

Carter was smacking and gobbling away at his bowl of stew. Over this obnoxious soundtrack the Professor and I discussed Velovia. Mostly trivialities, daily life and things, I told him of different points that were eluding the academics studying my world. These days no one knows or cares about Velovia but these dusty scholars, it's dead and what they know of it is confined to academic journals and thesis. They will never know what it was like walking about the firm brown ground of Velovia, the turquoise sky over head, to smell the air, hear the animals making noises in the bushes. The languages we spoke some lilting some guttural all dead. The taste of our milk and meat with our spices. No one knows anymore. I sit here eating my strange bread,on a strange world trying to describe the taste of a ripe balolia fruit. I need a drink now.

The meal ends.

"Anything for dessert?" asked Carter.

"Nothing, there is some papor fruit ice cream in the freezer..." The Professor said.

"Oh, yum!" Carter said. "Just give me a spoon and bowl."

"...there isn't much left..." The Professor confesses.

"Just a spoon then?" Carter said.

"Alright." The Professor smiles and then he turns to me. "I'd like to take some notes on what you we're saying Charkron, and talk some more in my study."

I smiled. "Of course Herman."

We left Carter rummaging in kitchen for a spoon and headed to the back of the house. The study was a small tan room, with a wooden desk and chair in the far left hand corner. There were shelves and shelves of books also items of Velovia import. Some reproductions and some were authentic. There was another chair a leather overstuffed one. I looked at the titles of the books. The sacred writings of Velovia, The teachings of Narvilla... beside them he two books was a small ivory statuette of robed woman her hands upraised. It wasn't remarkable at all. But it burned in my mind, like a beacon. Even closing my eyes I could sense it. That must be where the piece of the map was.

"We don't have the complete sacred writings." The Professor said sitting at his desk.

"Oh?" I said.

"None of the priest caste survived," The Professor said. "They were the ones who knew the sacred writings."

"I know a bit of them too," I said.  
Of course I do, the damned priests drilled it into me when I was a boy!

"Really, care to recite any?" The Professor said.

"Lights flicker out, candles go out, the shadows gather and darkness encompasses all, but the light of God never dims, the light of faith overwhelms the blackest night." I said.

"Excellent! That was really excellent!" The Professor claps.

"I was wondering if could have one your artifacts, Velovia is dead and gone and I have nothing to remind me of it." I said.

"Oh yes of course," The Professor said. "What would you like?"

I point to the statuette. "That."

His eyes widened, he looked from me to object and back.  
"The statuette of Narvilla? Maritelilius wanted that as well."

"Really, well surely you an give him something else," I said.

"No, I promised. He's going to stay for a week and do a series of interviews, I need the information it's vital for my work," said The Professor.

I bend down to his chair and stare into his eyes, they are grey. "It would be in your best interest to give it to me."

His mind resists it's harder than metal or stone, full of stubbornness

"No. Take something else." He insists closing his eyes.

"Look at me!" I command.

"No. I can feel you trying to break in my mind. It won't work, I won't let you." He said screwing his eyes shut.

"I'm trying to make it easy for you," I said calmly. "I'll even pay you for it, a thousand credits ten times more than it's worth."

"No, I keep my word! I don't break promises and I don't take bribes." The Professor said, keeping his eyes closed.

I straighten up and take a step back. "A man of honor." I said. "Very well I'll just take for myself."  
I casually walk over to the shelf.

"You can't," Said the Professor looking up at me.

"Why not it's within arm's reach?" I said.

"I'll report you," He said. "I'll tell the police. They'll deadlock you ship. You won't make it out of New Manhattan!"

I sighed. "You are really making this difficult, you know our abilities. I could set you on fire with a thought. I have used restraint and been a gentleman."

"You wouldn't do that, a fire would attract too much attention." the Professor shouted.

I fixed my gaze on him and concentrated. "Ah, you have no idea what I'm capable of."

 

"I can't...I can't move anything below my neck," He said.


End file.
